An man was arrested in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood Sunday morning after he allegedly stabbed a dog in the middle of a street.
Police say they found a man in his twenties covered in blood with a stab wound to his chest in the area of Yew Street and West 4th Avenue just after 7:15 a.m., who had approached a woman and stabbed the dog she was walking moments before officers arrived.
After a physical struggle that saw two officers get hurt, the man was brought under control with a beanbag gun.
The suspect was taken to hospital for treatment of his chest wound.
The dog, a 10-year-old golden retriever named Copper, was rushed to an animal hospital, where he’s expected to make a full recovery. His owner was unharmed.
Police say moments before the dog was stabbed, they were alerted to a stabbing nearby on West 13th Avenue and Arbutus Street, where they found a man in his late twenties suffering from stab wounds. He was rushed to hospital in serious condition.
Officers say the suspect and the victim know each other and had an altercation before the suspect fled to the scene of the dog stabbing.
The area of Yew Street and West 4th Avenue is expected to be blocked off throughout the afternoon as police investigate the scene.
‘It’s really horrific’
Witnesses who came upon the scene after the incident told Global News they were in disbelief when they heard what had happened.
She said she thought the incident may have come after a night of celebrating following the fireworks show Saturday night.
“Probably came up from the beach, you know there were a lot of people walking up from the beach and I think it’s an isolated incident,” she said. “I don’t think that it’s something that regularly occurs in this area, but I mean it can happen anywhere. It feels terrible anyway.”
One witness who allegedly saw the dog get stabbed didn’t want to be interviewed, but told other bystanders that police did a good job controlling the suspect and calming him down.
‘I’m so relieved’
Copper’s owner told Global News outside the animal hospital where the dog was being treated that her pet is likely to survive the attack.
“I’m just very relieved about Copper and I’m waiting for everything else to kick in,” she said.
WATCH BELOW: Globalnews.ca coverage of dog stabbings in Vancouver
The owner said she was walking Copper along West 4th when she saw the suspect covered in blood. She tried to cross the street to avoid him, when Copper stopped to smell a pole.
“I turned back in time to see him knock my dog over, straddle him, and begin stabbing.”
She then took time to thank a man who quickly ran out from inside the nearby 49th Parallel coffee shop, who hit the attacker in the head with a mug to knock him off the dog. Other staff and clients from the coffee shop helped the owner tend to Copper before police arrived.
The owner added Copper was expected to go back home with her Sunday night.